# So why are women so disgusted by oral sex during periods? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 4, 2012, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787 "2012-04-04T07:26:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787/21 "2012-04-04T15:39:46Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > Menstrual fluid contains very little blood. It’s mostly shed uterline lining and mucus. It is entirely bodily waste and neither more nor less inherently disgusting than urine or snot. I do look on a man wanting to consume menstrual fluid as very similar to wanting to drink pee or any other bodily waste. More odd than some things, less odd than others. With the added bonus that it is very like cannibalism when you get down to the chunky bits of uterus. > > And I too have to wonder whether **grude** has a bit of a sunny, idealized idea of what menstrual fluid is really like. Any experience with liver-like chunks and dark brown, sticky flow? Yup. This right here. Bleah. My body is getting rid of that crap for a good reason. It’s not like you’re playing at being a vampire without having to make a cut somewhere - menstrual fluid isn’t fresh. I’m OK with PIV sex (with a warning ahead of time and some thick, dark towels thrown down) during my period, but ugh, no, not oral. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787/22 "2012-04-04T15:42:21Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > Menstrual fluid contains very little blood. It’s mostly shed uterline lining and mucus. It is entirely bodily waste and neither more nor less inherently disgusting than urine or snot. I do look on a man wanting to consume menstrual fluid as very similar to wanting to drink pee or any other bodily waste. More odd than some things, less odd than others. With the added bonus that it is very like cannibalism when you get down to the chunky bits of uterus. > > And I too have to wonder whether **grude** has a bit of a sunny, idealized idea of what menstrual fluid is really like. Any experience with liver-like chunks and dark brown, sticky flow? Exactly - it _smells_! ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787/23 "2012-04-04T15:44:25Z")
Having orgasms when on my period can really help with cramps. Having orgasms with my husband can really help my crankiness. So, to deal with any ick factor, my husband will go down on me while I am wearing a tampon (clit sitmulation) and then I will take out the tampon and he will use a condom to have PIV sex. He has done it before without the tampon but he prefers to avoid the taste. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787/24 "2012-04-04T16:44:57Z")
All the guys I’ve been with find periods absolutely disgusting and have refused to go near my nether regions when I’m on the rag. After a certain number of years and the same reaction from multiple people, it’s easy to internalize that it’s disgusting. If I met a guy who was into that now, I’d probably humor him (thinking he had a blood fetish). But I would be positively unable to relax and enjoy it. So it seems counterproductive, since the point of giving a woman oral is to provide her with something relaxing and enjoyable. ---
**Author:** ![drdrizzy13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@drdrizzy13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drdrizzy13)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787/25 "2012-04-04T16:58:41Z")
guess you don’t got your red wings ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787/26 "2012-04-04T17:01:39Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > Meh. I had an ex talk me into this and I went along with it because I’m a GGG type of gal. I can see this, sure. > [@](#): > > Then he kissed me after the fact and I got a taste - blech - no thanks. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOO OOOOOOOOOOO OOoooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ☹ ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787/27 "2012-04-04T17:31:36Z")
What _I_ don’t understand is why women are so squeamish about being rimmed when they’re having rectal bleeding and discharge from proctitis. Guess it’s more of the Western cultural body-shaming. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787/28 "2012-04-04T18:09:09Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#): > > Western women are socialized from a young age to view period blood as dirty, disgraceful, dangerous, smelly and something that no one else should see. Depending on age, some of us were even taught that no one should even see us with the tools meant to deal with it, and that it was necessary to be stealthy with our tampons and pads and so on. > > The idea of someone willingly wanting to muck about in something we’ve been indoctrinated to view so negatively is not going to sit well with most anyone. Consider it a byproduct of a body-shaming society. Yes, in Eastern and African society going down on menstruating women is quite sought after. It cures AIDS, I think. ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787/29 "2012-04-04T18:13:06Z")
(male poster) YMMV, but there is a big difference in my experience between the heaviest days and the first/last “spotting” days. I’m not going down there on the heavy/chunky days but the rest of the time there is really nothing to be squeamish about, especially after a shower. ---
**Author:** ![anya\_marie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@anya\_marie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anya_marie)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787/30 "2012-04-04T19:41:00Z")
I’ve never met a man who’s wanted to earn red wings from me. I will have sex, but there hasn’t been much of that. One of the things that made me dump one guy was how he gave me crap about my period, which I didn’t like so I gave him angry, sarcastic crap right back. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787/31 "2012-04-04T20:08:09Z")
My period is the one week where I can go to bed without my husband pestering me for sex. Blech! ---
**Author:** ![polar\_bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@polar\_bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/polar_bear)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787/32 "2012-04-04T20:15:53Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > It is beyond me why this is even a question. Geez. I’ve little to say on the subject, but I just have to acknowledge how you’re keeping a little bit of **Yakuza** on the dope. Kudos!! ETA Look at her ‘title’ (or whatayacall those teksts under the username) ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787/33 "2012-04-04T20:36:21Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO > OOOOO > OOOOOOOOOOO > OOoooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO > > ☹ Yea that is gross, I wouldn’t try to force a woman to taste her own bodily fluids. Funny thing is I find men respond much more positive about both period sex and period oral, sure there are the GROSS responses but you get the curious and the apparently experienced(cough copper cough)too. Women respond much more universally negatively. I think it would be easier to talk women into indulging a urination fetish. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787/34 "2012-04-04T20:58:25Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > Menstrual fluid contains very little blood. It’s mostly shed uterline lining and mucus. This isn’t sweetening the deal any. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787/35 "2012-04-04T21:08:22Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > This isn’t sweetening the deal any. I know, and I was on the fence before that. ---
**Author:** ![Stauderhorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Stauderhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stauderhorse)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787/36 "2012-04-04T22:44:56Z")
I would _love_ to receive oral sex while on my period. Everything down there is very sensitive during that time and I imagine it would feel great. My boyfriend completely refuses to, though; he’s not even thrilled about PIV sex during my period. I don’t blame him; I wouldn’t want a mouth full of menstrual blood. But if my partner was willing to do that, I’d be all for it. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787/37 "2012-04-04T22:53:44Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > My period is the one week where I can go to bed without my husband pestering me for sex. Blech! Awww, that kind of attitude always makes me so sad. ☹ Never received oral during my period either **gets in line behind stauderhourse** but I can report that The Other Shoe is much less squeamish about the whole “I’m getting my period” thing than I am. For _years_ after we were living together I’d still hide my tampon wrappers, and considered it a triumph if (I thought) he didn’t know if or when I’d gotten mine. In my case, yeah, my mother did a great job of “this is icky and bad and you’ve just got to soldier through it” and I’m frankly not surprised at how many women react more negatively to the whole thing than men. Then again, **WhyNot** and **tumbledown** did a better job of 'splaining than I could. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787/38 "2012-04-04T23:03:22Z")
Because nothing good ever comes out of someone trying to act out their favorite Edgar Allan Poe [novel.](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NLItS1ApnNM/TUYihrVif1I/AAAAAAAAATQ/hjymqhi29M8/s1600/masque_red_death.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787/39 "2012-04-04T23:03:29Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > What _I_ don’t understand is why women are so squeamish about being rimmed when they’re having rectal bleeding and discharge from proctitis. Guess it’s more of the Western cultural body-shaming. Vinyl, you are the absolute best poster of any message board in history. You make me laugh SO hard it’s ridiculous. Bravo. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787/40 "2012-04-04T23:21:06Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Exactly - it _smells_! Right? Anybody who has ever walked into a women’s public restroom and been hit by _that smell_ knows exactly what it is (old, over abundant period blood. And yes, gentlemen, this is a thing-- I’ve been with friends countless times where someone has screeched, “Fuck, it stinks in here like period blood. Gross.”). I work actively to keep things cleaned up and moving along while on my period so nobody has to smell anything from me, but the stuff itself does have a definitive smell to it. While I’ll have sex all day on my period, I would think it was weird and gross if a guy voluntarily chose to have a face full of that period blood smell. No me gusta. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-are-women-so-disgusted-by-oral-sex-during-periods/617787.md?page=3)